Go and do thou likewise (The good Samaritan - Part 2)

Text: Luke 10:37 “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

Intro: Last Wednesday night we began to study our next occurrence of the Samaritan. This time it is the “Good Samaritan”. Remember this is a parable, it is intended to teach a lesson, and these are not real people, however, they represent a very literal reality. That being said, the questioner (this lawyer) is very much real. We discussed last week, of this man’s knowledge of the Jewish law, and how his question is one of a legal matter. However, may we never forget that while the “law” demands of us, it is the “gospel” of Christ, which produces in us!

Spurgeon said this about Christ’s teaching, “…even in expounding the law He has always a gospel design. Two ends are served by His setting up a high standard of duty: on the one He slays the self-righteousness which claims to have kept the law by making man feel the impossibility of salvation by their own works: and, on the other hand, He calls believers away from all content with the mere decencies of life and the routine of outward religion, and stimulates them to seek after the highest degree of holiness-indeed, after that excellence of character which only his grace can give.”

Our story begins with affliction and sorrow… This man is not singled out because his sins were more grave than another’s for it appears even the religious made the journey to Jericho, and in reality any one of them could have fallen in the manner which this man falls. Now, that being said, let’s consider what Jericho represents.

After the destruction of the city in Joshua it is said,

Joshua 6:26 “And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.”

Does anyone have a guess when the city was rebuilt?

1 Kings 16:31–34 “And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

While Jericho represents that time of pagan idolatry, and men doing their own thing without God and against God. Jerusalem, represents all that is God! IN the words of pagan king Cyrus.

Ezra 1:3 “Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.”

Now, the state of the world is in Jericho… But this man represents those who had “religion” Judaism, and left the place which represented the Name, and Glory of God (Jerusalem) and went down to Jericho. Jesus is giving a parable, concerning a wayward and falling children of Israel.

1 Kings 11:36 “And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.”

And so the parable symbolizes the children of Isreal forsaking the center of God’s word and presence, in exchange for a cursed, idolatrous place. The thieves is Satan, who has blinded their eyes, and left them in a mortally wounded state.

The fact that he stripped him of everything is the state of the children of Israel today…

Romans 11:9–11 “And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”

Is there anything that shows that better then one from Jerusalem left half dead, and with nothing, that then has to be helped by a Samaritan? Remember these men, do not represent, poor hearted individuals, but what they did as priests and Levites...

The Priest: Hebrews 10:11 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:”

Sacrifice wasn’t the help that this man needed, besides, he needed to bring the sacrifice, and offer it with a willing heart. He was in no condition to do that...

The Levite: Deuteronomy 24:8 “Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.”

Nehemiah 8:7 “... and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.”

The help the Levite offered wasn’t what he needed either. For how could he do, those things which the Levite might have helped him understand?

He needed something that neither sacrifice, nor the law could offer… Mercy!

Romans 9:16 “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

Luke 10:37 “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

Here in the book of Luke, in chapter (1) alone, mercy is used five times.

Luke 1:50 “And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.”

Luke 1:54 “He hath holpen his servant Israel, In remembrance of his mercy;”

Luke 1:58 “And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.”

Luke 1:72 “To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, And to remember his holy covenant;”

Luke 1:78 “Through the tender mercy of our God; Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,”

Luke 6:36 “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

Luke 10:37 “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

Just because the children of Israel’s current state is that of nakedness, and wounded, doesn’t mean that God will leave them that way…

Luke 10:33 “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”

Romans 11:30–36 “For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

There is also a warning...

James 2:12–13 “So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”